Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals: outbreaks occurring in weeks 9 to 13, 2018
Updated 25 January 2019
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The hospital norovirus outbreak reporting scheme (HNORS) recorded 50 outbreaks occurring between weeks 9 and 13, 2018, 47 of which (94%) led to ward/bay closures or restriction to admissions and 34 (68%) were recorded as laboratory-confirmed due to norovirus. Between week 1 (week beginning 1 January 2018) and week 13 (week beginning 26 March 2018) 145 outbreaks have been reported. Ninety-six percent (139) of reported outbreaks resulted in ward/bay closures or restrictions to admissions and 77% (112) were laboratory-confirmed as due to norovirus.
Suspected and laboratory-confirmed reported norovirus outbreaks in hospitals, with regional breakdown: outbreaks occurring in weeks 9 to 13 of 2018.
| Region/PHE Centre | Outbreaks between weeks 9 to 13/2018 | Total outbreaks weeks 2018 to date | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ìý | Outbreaks | Ward/bay closure* | Lab-confirmed | Outbreaks | Ward/bay closure* | Lab-confirmed |
| East of England | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| East Midlands | 4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
| London | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | – |
| North East | 7 | 6 | 3 | 20 | 19 | 15 |
| North West | 6 | 6 | 3 | 18 | 18 | 14 |
| South East | 6 | 5 | 6 | 15 | 14 | 11 |
| South West | 11 | 11 | 9 | 27 | 26 | 22 |
| West Midlands | 10 | 10 | 5 | 39 | 37 | 27 |
| Yorkshire and Humberside | 6 | 5 | 4 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| Total | 50 | 47 | 34 | 145 | 139 | 112 |
* Note: not all outbreaks result in whole wards closures, some closures are restricted to bays only.
In the current season to date †(from week 27, 2017, to week 13, 2018), there were 2603 laboratory reports of norovirus. This is 1% higher than the average number of laboratory reports for the same period in the seasons between 2013 and 2017 (2568).
†The norovirus season runs from July to June (week 27 in year 1 to week 26 in year 2) in order to capture the winter peak in one season.
Note: The number of laboratory reports in the most recent weeks will increase as further reports are received.